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Canada got the last hurrah at the Celebration of Light Saturday evening, closing the three-night event with a winning display. Canada was declared the winner of the event, with Brazil and China finishing second and third, respectively.

Editorial: Campbell's win is a vote of confidence but his real challenge is ahead

Premier Gordon Campbell delivered his victory speech with his wife, sons, daughters-in-law and infant grandsons on stage with him. He said he ran again for their future.

Photograph by: Vancouver Sun
, Canwest News Service

Premier Gordon Campbell’s spring break is over. But before he gets back to work after a decidedly lacklustre election campaign, we should give him credit for what he accomplished with his third majority victory.

British Columbia has not seen a streak like this since Bill Bennett led Social Credit to three victories in the 1970s and 1980s.

Campbell’s victory represents a vote of confidence from voters, and keeping the same party in power should also mean stability for the province — or at least as much stability as is possible given the tough hits we’ve had to take because of the global economic downturn.

The economy will be Campbell’s top priority. The government’s February budget was not only optimistic, it called for additional cuts to be found later — and since then, the economy has got worse. We need to see a new budget with a more realistic assessment of the state of our province.

There will be a lot of painful news coming from the government in the next few months.

Individual ministries will face a severe squeeze as the government tries to find cuts to make up for falling revenues. There are only three choices: Cut spending; raise taxes; or incur a larger deficit. The premier and cabinet will need to make tough decisions, knowing that anything they do will not be popular and that a bad call could deepen the downturn.

The Olympics will be safe from cuts, of course, because the Games are the province’s poster child. Which other programs will be safe? We need to know as quickly as possible.

The Games will bring attention to B.C. Let’s hope the media from around the world make note of the wonders of the province, not just the homelessness in our cities and the Lower Mainland gang violence.

The environment flared as a big issue, but quickly faded. That’s wrong. The carbon tax was a good start, but it was only a small step toward changing the way we use energy. Much more needs to be done and the provincial government needs to lead.

Another top priority will be the government’s reconciliation efforts with First Nations. We will all be richer when our aboriginal citizens take their rightful place in positions of power.

And that’s just a start. The government will still face severe pressures in many other areas, with health and education at the top of the list. These are the most expensive ministries and both are facing severe cost pressures with increasing demand and limited funding.

Through all of this, it would be nice to see a more respectful, more inclusive government. More than half the voters did not cast ballots for the party in power — one of the factors that have caused many people to look longingly at another way of electing governments.

We chose this group of MLAs using the first past the post system, though, not the single transferable vote. That means the old problems — mainly, the sharp, angry divide between the two most popular parties — are still there.

Let’s hope they learn to work together for the well-being of the province. It would make sense to end the petty bickering in the legislature, and provide good government instead.

If Campbell completes this term — he will be 65 by the 2013 election — he will have been premier for 12 years, one year more than Bennett.

Perhaps voters have decided that continuity and predictability matter. Between Bill Bennett and Campbell, we saw six premiers in 15 years, and each one tried — as was his or her right — to put a stamp on the province.

Lurching this way and that does not bring stability. Sticking with the familiar might do that — and that was the hope expressed by the voters yesterday.